Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML raised its sales projections for 2026, citing growing demand for chip-making equipment due to the rapid development of AI.
ASML President and CEO Christophe Fouquet said the company now expects net sales in 2026 to reach between 43 billion euros and 45 billion euros, with a gross margin of 54 percent to 56 percent.
The revised projection is well above the company's previous forecast of 34 billion euros to 39 billion euros released earlier this year.
"Ongoing AI-related investments and continued advancements in AI technologies are driving strong demand for advanced memory and logic chips, further strengthening the growth prospects of the semiconductor industry," Fouquet said in a press release accompanying the company's second-quarter (Q2) financial results.
The Veldhoven-based company reported Q2 net sales of 9.3 billion euros, beating market expectations, while net profit reached 2.9 billion euros. For the third quarter (Q3), ASML expects net sales to be between 11 billion euros and 12 billion euros.
ASML is the world's leading supplier of commercial extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, which are crucial for manufacturing the world's most advanced semiconductor chips, Xinhua reported.
